How To Help ADHD Children Gain Weight

Guide on how to help Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD Children gain weight.

Children who are diagnosed with ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are usually given certain types of medication, generally referred to as psycho-stimulants. These medications are meant to help the patient deal with symptoms such as lack of concentration, impulsive behavior and being hyper.

However, like most types of medication, the one given to ADHD patients can have side-effects as well. Some of these meds [medicines] can make the patient lose his or her appetite, which can eventually lead to weight loss. If effects like these are not treated soon, there might be complications in the near future.

Nutrition is a very important part of a child’s development, and parents must know how to make sure that their kids are well fed, regardless of whether they have ADHD or not. Should your child be diagnosed with ADHD, you need to know how to help them maintain a healthy weight gain.

Of course, it’s important to make observations first before attempting to induce weight gain on a child with ADHD. Not all children taking the same medication will react to it with severe appetite loss. Some will only lose their appetite for a while (around half an hour at most) and then be back to normal. Check out how much change your kid experiences after taking these medications.

Also, knowing how your child reacts to these meds in particular will help you make the perfect plan to addressing the weight loss. Here are a couple of tips that you might want to include in your strategy in helping your child gain weight.

The best way to keep your child from not eating enough in meals is to prevent him or her from losing appetite before these meals. That’s why pediatricians often recommend giving the medication AFTER meals. Anyway, that’s where the medication will be most effective, because the child’s digestive system is most active at this state. Furthermore, it will keep your child from getting overweight because you control his or her appetite after eating enough.

But if you can’t control the child’s appetite loss, then you need to make the most of the meals that he or she does eat. You can do so by planning the meals with as much nutrition as possible. For example, when preparing a sandwich, it’s better to stay away from the usual jellies and go for the more nutrition packed products like peanut butter.

It’s also important that you teach your child how important it is to finish the food on his or her plate. This will take a little bit of discipline, but once the habit is met, it’s going to be something that even appetite loss can’t stop.

There will also be instances when the child will want to eat a lot. Take this opportunity whenever that happens. Keep the food healthy and nutrition packed to make the most out of it. Encourage him or her to have snacks every now and then.

A child’s nutrition is a continuing process, so don’t forget to take these tips alongside other important aspects of a child’s growth.